The Hakufess Part 1
by 6Poppy
Summary: The genre is a little sporatic? Main character all new ;D
1. Chapter 1: Invasion

*** **I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, or Legend of the Seeker that is credited with the long and short tailed gars and confessors. **

**Extra characters are mine as well the plot.**

* * *

Her head bumped against the wall where she sat in the corner. The fan hiding her used its powerful turbines to send the air in front of it plummeting anew into the open gym. Behind the large device, cool air was wafted over her legs, caressing her bare skin.

It seemed so hot these days. She lazily glanced up through what could have been called bangs, from the current angle exposing her. She let out a very sleepy yawn.

Around her, her classmates laughed and thumped across the floor playing what was considered 'racket ball'. She wrinkled her nose at the noise and sunk deeper into the floor, making sure she kept her hands completely hidden from any other contacts.

Caution was a necessity.

The low throaty thrum of the fan satisfied her aching head, taking over her ears.

She lay there for a long while, trying to relax her body and mind.

'_God, I can't take this anymore' _she grimaced, the very thin lipped and usual fake smile. She took a deep ragged breath and wiped the sweat dewing on her forehead away. She could feel her light yet dark hair sticking to her flushed face. Her thin and lovely brows furrowed as heat engulfed her back, centering from her spine.

'_This sucks' _she cruelly smirked at herself. Pain was a resident her body had long become acustomed to.

She did her best to keep entirely reserved as she rolled over on to her back. The cool floor got colder as each second passed and she stiffened.

"Lydia."

In half a second her eyes had flown open, startled and startling violet eyes searched the ceiling, a labyrinth of cat walks, and she was up on her knees.

"Lydia?" her teacher reached out a helping hand. She glanced at it in horror.

Instantly she jerked away from him, stumbling backwards hurriedly until she reached the other side of the wall.

Mr. Tudor stared, frightened, into her eyes over the seven foot distance.

She ruffled her hair with a mahogany fingered hand.

"Oh! Mr. Tudor, you startled me! I'm sorry, I wasn't paying anything attention when you popped up!" her sincere voice and the hand over her heart fooled him.

"It's alright, class is almost finished and I was just coming to tell you that you could go change," he said to the pretty green eyed girl. She nodded back.

"Oh my God," she whispered to herself after he'd left.

"That was close," she fingered the hem of the gray gym shorts.

When she stood up, something shined out of the corner of her eye. She looked past the rowdy teenagers and froze.

Green spikes pointed her out, with the glistening blue witness.

She calmly smoothed her gray gym shirt over the gray shorts. Then she stooped to tie her black jazz shoes- something she didn't often care to do. Casually, she pulled her hair back into a down pony tail, the parts too short and mistaken for bangs hung at the sides of her face.

She arched an eyebrow and gracefully sauntered toward the display of rackets, her heart pounding in her chest.

While she leaned over to pick up the racket with the yellow handle, the figure stepped into the gym.

Before any one in the gym had noticed, she did an about face turn and darted out the door beside the display. No on in the crowded hallway knew she was there as she tore down the hall and out of the building.

Outside the cold air stung and the fog mad it seem midnight. No one seemed to be on the streets and there weren't many lights turned on.

She franticly sprinted lightly down many flights of steps.

She cut down allies and neatly jumped fences five feet taller that she was. There was no way she could stop, the snow flurries whispered fiercely he was hot on her trail.

The only true sound was the air being sliced by her unceasing mobile form and forced to curve around her and let her through.

She dashed around a corner, hardly dodging the sharp turn she'd underestimated and cut her thigh on a protruding stone.

Her feet made a nearly inaudible pitter patter.

Suddenly, ice barricaded her escape down Daisy Ally. She grunted in panicked frustration and scampered down to Nottingham Ally.

All clear.

She made a clean break through the narrow path between the train station and motel.

There were crackling sounds and she saw ice forming on the ground and walls around her. She pushed herself harder still. One of her ribs popped and she stumbled on a loose cobblestone.

Without hesitation, she picked herself up and ran towards the building ice wall. No one could ever break through an ice wall, it was another dead end.

"Yah!" she screamed and thrusted her palm out before her.

As she advanced toward the wall, she'd never stopped except for the delaying fall on the walk, her fingers began to feel tingly. A blue light shone unnaturally bright and exploded the frozen barrier as she almost ran into it.

Time seemed to slow down while the ice shards, like glass, cut her skin and raced around her to their resting places.

**Lydia, stop!**

She ignored the thought that invaded her head. He was far too close, she could feel him now, and that was very dangerous.

**Fine. **It shot through her like venom.

She was planted against the wall, an arm pressed her chest back into it, and earnest blue eyes stared back at her. He had her pinned, just inside the ally.

He was careful not to touch her skin while his winter breath blew into her exhausted and defeated face. In the distance, Big Ben rang an alarm.

"Why don't you EVER listen?" although furious and scared, his voice remained cool and calm. It was always that way, calm.

She whimpered and he pulled her roughly away from the wall. He kept a tight hold on her while he led her seven blocks to a tiny, shabby inn.

All the while, he used all his sense to be sure they weren't followed.

She gazed into the mirror.

Touya had given her her favorite pair of clothes to put on before their journey.

As she thought of how well she looked despite the long run, a single suitcase was set beside the door and a patient, worried friend.

She noted, like she did every day, that here eyes were an unnaturally pale green. They stood out like a light was held behind the pupils, like to make a dark room brighter. Each time she looked at them, they reminded her what she was.

She remembered what he'd told her and played with her brown hair.

_"You have to come, forget your instincts. You knew this life wasn't a safe one, it's _

_a shame it's your birthright and therefore stuck with it. Lydia… you know you _

_have to stop running."_

She had no idea where they were going, her eyes glistened, but she trusted him.

She didn't have a choice anyway.


	2. Chapter 2: Friends

**This chapter has a few flashbacks. Whenever you see many lines with **_'what ever it says but in this form' _**then it's something she's remembered from an earlier time, a small flashback. **

* * *

She groaned and sat up against the dark blue and green checkered fabric seat. He looked her over while she studied he green landscape flashing by the fast moving train.

He took in her tired eyes and sagging shoulders and wondered if being immersed in the human world had really helped her. He noted how she dug her long mahogany nails into her knee, knuckles bearing white under the strength of the grip, when the car rattled.

Neither faces told what they were thinking.

She shivered a moment, his perfect blue brow furrowed in concern.

"Lydia-"

"Touya," she cut him off quickly, an edge decorated her voice. He frowned at her; you had to have known him to be able to see the nearly invisible thin line of his mouth.

"These people," she began slowly, her hair curtained around her to hide her face, "do they know what's coming to them?"

Touya stared at her with a blank expression, but looks were always deceiving. Her fierce, pale green eyes shone with worry and regret.

"Think of it as a relaxing vacation."

"It'd be easier if I'd ever had one."

He thought for a short moment before continuing, "This is the one time in your life you don't have to worry about hurting those around you," he tried a smile.

It took her a moment, but she returned a small smile.

"There's my girl."

* * *

'_We need you' _his ever cool voice echoed in her mind. She had scoffed at him, _'That's what they always tell me' _she'd said darkly.

They trudged up the endless flight of gray, hard stone stairs.

Everything else around them was green and secluded, perfect in Lydia's eyes.

The ghost of a smile found its way on her face, playing around the trembling corners of her mouth.

'_There's going to be a war' he'd scared her. She looked at him skeptically. _

'_What?' her mouth was dry._

'_We're all training at the dojo, Yusuke, Kazuma, Kurama, Hiei, and Genkai. You're going to join us. You don't have to train to our skills, we have your own set up. A revolution is on its way.'_

A few birds called out in the woods to their mates.

The wind lightly moved the branches and leaves to swaying and sweet clean air rushed through her brown, and his blue, and green hair.

She didn't know if she was going to laugh or cry in her new homey surroundings.

_She had sensed hesitation in Touya's voice. Her pale eyes silently loudly forced him to tell her everything. _

She huffed up the steps, her legs ached greatly.

"This is a loooooooong climb up some random stairs," she tossed to Touya.

"Hmm."

'_There are a few we need to watch out for. They're visitors and don't know the caution that needs to take place.'_

'_No one does.'_

'_Some can fathom.'_

'_Not until it's too late.'_

'_We'll see.'_

She paused on the fifth landing. (There were roughly 23 steps per landing.) The stone arch indicating the entrance to the dojo was just visible. Her eyes reflected terrified excitement.

Touya held out his hand.

She took it and continued up the agonizing climb with her old friend.

'_Do you remember when we were kids, how difficult it was for me to stay in control?'_

'_I remember,' he mused, 'then, I had the same problem.'_

_He lifted a hand with icicle fingers. They laughed at the old memories._

'_I haven't changed, Touya,' her voice haunting, 'Can I trust them?'_

'_Yes,' he answered with his heart, 'Giligan wouldn't have set it up otherwise.'_

The two gracefully stepped through the arch into a wide clearing. There were three buildings. One laid dead ahead, one to the left, and one to the right.

The grass was bright green and lush. Everything was healthy and blossoming with life.

Two figures continued fighting while a girl ran around them yelling.

Lydia noticed a black hole in the side of the center dojo's roof.

'_Giligan looked everywhere for safe houses. He said he heard of one in Japan from a couple men or… creatures rather, that he was spying on.'_

'_He discovered Genkai, it's going to be okay.'_

Touya placed his arm around Lydia's shoulders and supported her as they came affront the curious people.

* * *

The two boys looked her up and down. She kept her eyes averted and unseen.

"Who is she?" one with a football build and stupid toned voice asked.

"Duh! She's that chick grandma told us to stay away from."

"Oh, she must be Lydia," the girl realized and stepped over to shake Lydia's hand.

"I'm Keiko," she informed sweetly, "this here's Yusuke. Just ignore him, he's a hot-headed jerk."

"Hot, yeah, but hot-headed?" the apparent boy challenged.

"Hey, you forgot me!"

"No she didn't," the hot-headed jerk commented.

"And Kuwabara," Keiko fixed, still holding out her hand.

"That's Kazuma," Touya filled her in, she nodded, staring at Keiko's hand.

A sharp nudge in side from Touya advised her to awkwardly shake the hand.

Their skin barely touched, but Keiko gasped at the cold contact.

"Touya, you'll freeze her being that close!" she smiled, scolding the accused.

'_We're going to have to talk' _Lydia thought.

"Well, it's nice to have you," Yusuke smacked a hand on her back, as a friendly gesture.

She hissed at the jolt of pain that ripped quickly through her small frame and her sudden glare left Yusuke at a complete loss for words.

"Hey, Urameshi, back off. See, ya made her mad, probably hurt her," Kuwabara looked angrily to Yusuke.

Lydia began to shake slightly.

"Hey, are you okay?" Kuwabara checked, getting in her face.

"Fine," she spat. Touya's arm tightened back around her.

"Urameshi, yur suck a jerk! Hurting a girl like that! Well I outta…" he rubbed a hand over his right fist.

Yusuke was too rattled from the power behind Lydia's eyes to speak.

"Genkai's gonna hand you your manners!"

"Shut up! Grandma's not going to teach me anything!" he hollered.

"Boys," Touya was lost as the two began to punch each other in the back of the head.

Lydia had calmed down and watched their movements, intently studying their behavior.

"Guys!" Keiko complained, shaking her head of brown hair.

Overhead, clouds sat in front of the sun, shading them.

Lydia watched them while Touya only glanced. _'He is more of a stars person after all' _she mused.

The white cotton masses made her smile. They floated so carefree in the sky, playing with the sun throughout the day in a warm, long friendship.

Several miles away, but visible above the magnificent trees, gray clouds imposed on her pleasant day dreaming.

Her face clouded and her eyes hardened at the thunder clouds' low growl unheard yet. Past thunder storms not quite as wet or dark ruled her memories and grossly twisted her smile.

No one saw the change in her stature.

All attention was on the ruckus, except for Lydia's. Her jaw clenched tightly in fury struggling to be unleashed.

The fight had gotten too close for the bystanders. A misguided fist rounded and slammed into the right side of Lydia's face. The hit sent her to the ground.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry Lydia! We didn't mean to get so close!" Kuwabara was shocked and very guilty.

Her ducked head snapped up. Her pale green eyes-

"Impossible!"

had gotten paler. Her cold, death gaze made the four of them feeling the need and desire to retreat into the woods and far, far away from her.

"Get away from her!" a new, gravely voice barked.

With a growl, the enraged woman leapt off the ground and tackled Kuwabara. Her feet stomped him into the ground and he let out a surprised gasp.

She grasped his right wrist hard and forced him to punch himself. His cheek bone gave a resounding crack and a large, black bruise readily plastered itself under the long cut on his right cheek where his knuckles had brutally drilled his face.

She threw into a tree with a blue light streaming from her hand after she'd wiped is bloody face into the grass.

"You're gross," she'd commented through gritting teeth.

Faster than any human they'd met, she had him back in her hands, and up in the air.

With a grunt she threw him into the ground. The earth easily gave way and a seven foot diameter crater cradled Kuwabara's nearly unconscious body.

His puffy eyes were almost swollen shut by bulging, purple skin.

Her feet didn't stumble as she landed on the ground walking. She furiously strode forward after him.

Her violet eyes showed no mercy, wind blew around her angrily, making her shoulder length hair fly all over the place behind her. The damaged man cried, her hand was reaching out to him.

"NO!" the voice shouted.

An ice wall came up in front of her. She walked it, surprised pale green eyes searching aimlessly to recognize where she was.

Cold arms wrapped around her and pushed her back, where, unbalanced, she fell.

She didn't know who had picked up Kuwabara's limp body. She did, however see that the hole in the roof had slinked off the wall and to the ground.

"Inside, now!" a short, old woman in a red kimono and hat with graying pale pink hair ordered. "Except for you," she harshly directed toward the downcast attacker.

Most followed after the scared and calm woman inside.

Touya still stood guarding the poor girl biting back tears from anyone else.

* * *

**I know that I changed the look of Genkai's temple/dojo some. What do you think of Lydia now? And when there's a bar separating "**this" **from "this", it's an author's note. **


	3. Chapter 3: What Then?

**I'm trying to make these short and sweet for the reader's benefit :) I gotta show you some love for reading my first story. I'd highly appreciate reviews, I need them to learn better writing skills and if you have anything you want me to add, I'll talk to you about it and you'll be credited for it! Here goes. **

* * *

There was a loud buzz around the small room. Everyone wanted to know and understand what had just happened.

"No shit, Kuwabara got his ass kicked!" Yusuke spoke obnoxiously above the raging curiosity.

Lydia was sitting in the opposite corner, her arms wrapped around her legs and legs pulled up to her heaving chest. She was like a tiny ball. She rocked back and forth, eyes squeezed shut and breathing heavily.

'_She's in pain_' Touya noted sadly.

The clamor rose when Kuwabara's arm lifted in attempts to get off the counter. Lydia watched a fair girl by the name of Yukina with blue green hair calmly place his arm to his side and give him a sweet smile.

"You need to rest," her adoring voice laughed. Lydia barely heard it under the other frantic voices.

No one was afraid for the man on the table top, or themselves for that matter.

She shook her head, frustrated at their stupidity. Her pulse jumped violently in her skin.

'_I wonder if she's even human?_' she shook her head.

'_Surely SHE didn't do this?_'

'_Maybe that bagel Sunday was too creamy._'

Lydia tried in agony to block out the others' thoughts.

One unnatural pair of eyes was watching her.

"Where is she? I wanna talk to her!" Kuwabara sat up.

Lydia rubbed her eyes back into her head at the sudden rise of volume.

"Shut up," she pleaded softly.

"She's gotta know I'm okay – Of course I'm scared of her Urameshi!" they were trying to sit him back down.

"Please," she whispered, begging, Touya's muscles tensed where he stood in the door, "shut up."

"Children," a sharp voice warned, no body heard him.

Her head reeled in her hands, throbbing with unbearable pain.

"Would you people," her voice shook. Everyone was still complaining and thinking loudly.

A growl stirred in her chest, "quiET!" she shouted angrily, glaring through her dark veil of hair.

Sudden silence filled the room.

"I suppose now you can explain why the hell we're under such security with you?" Genkai assumed in her gravely voice.

Lydia stared all in front of her down coldly, anguish written all over her perfect face. She closed her eyes and worked to replace the mask.

"Well sit down," her voice had an air of sarcasm and she rose to her feet.

"What-" she cut the boy off with her hand.

Touya moved out of the doorway behind her and sat down front and center, not bothering to sit on the mat. Yusuke noticed Touya's intent gaze on Lydia and followed accordingly. Genkai was stone, she'd been waiting to hear this poor girl's story since the odd letter by a man named Giligan Prowd. Said man claimed to be a wizard and that the world was in great need in resistance to the pending danger coming out of Russia.

"In the universe," Lydia began slowly, "there are five realms. The human world, the spirit world, the demon world," her lips curled vilely around the those last two words, " the netherworld-" someone gasped, "yes it does still exist!" she chastised quickly, "and one with no name."

"So now our planet is a realm?"

"Well the spirit world and netherworld aren't exactly located on rotating spheres are they?" Touya explained.

"Um," Yusuke spoke up, "some of them are!"

"Those are fields in a realm, now sh!" Lydia still had not opened her eyes.

"In the Midlands, life was really quite wonderful," she folded her arms.

"There are wizards and magical creatures no one else has ever seen and wonderous land that…" she took a deep breath and sighed.

She squeezed her eyes tight shut of a second, then finally, slowly opened them to look at everyone.

"Dude, that's just like in the movies."

"Shut up, Kuwabara," Keiko covered his mouth.

"When I was seven, I was taken from my home in the Midlands by a man named Zakashi," fire erupted behind the false green orbs. "He'd found a rouge portal into the Midlands and sought out the most powerful of my kind."

"There are portals to all the realms?"

"Well no dip, Sherlock," Yusuke gave a knowing grin to the football player like oaf.

"Where are they?" the sweet blue green haired girl with charming red eyes wondered.

"The less you know the better," Lydia put a stop to the comments.

"He was after someone powerful. The one whose power could be used to destroy the essence of life and even against her," her tone was dead.

"Who has that power?"

"Me."

The temperature seemed to drop eight degrees as everyone tried to suppress horrified expressions.

Lydia winced at the strong change in emotion in the room that washed through her head as easily as water flowed over dirty hands from a faucet, but not nearly as painless.

"Why do I have the feeling you're going to hide yourself from them?" Touya asked Lydia carefully.

"You know I don't like talking about this. A life of redundancy is hardly exciting."

"You've told this story many times," the red head noted.

"And it never gets better," she smiled wistfully.

"He was a vicious fire demon with a knack for experimentation and wealth," at this the red head looked past Lydia to the window where a black figure sat, suddenly intrigued.

"Demons are always seeking out great power to use to their advantage," she ran a hand over goose bumps that had risen on her arm, "At this time, a new weapon was desired to defeat the three royal Princes of Darkness. This weapon would be able to obliterate anything it saw fit or was ordered to massacre. A machine, that do stunts such as killing entire armies, even the princes, to relieving any stress the men had by any – means," she bit the words. "What better '_specimen_' than a woman, right?"

"Long story short: yes, they raped me. Yes, they tore me to pieces. Yes, they killed ones I love and forced me to do it. He strapped me to a table," her voice grew louder, "and tried to make me a fire demon."

"What!" the man with red hair choked.

"Kurama, what does that mean?" Genkai went stiff.

"That's suicide, fire demons have too much energy! The result would be unbalanced! The created demon would be highly unstable!" he rushed, wide eyed, his green eyes glistened with the horrid images that flickered across his mind of what possibly happened.

"And so I am," she leaned threateningly over the group, "and that's only part of the problem. To any who is born unto the Midlands, the fire demon blood will drive them mad. To some one like _me_… it's poison," she breathed, frightened.

"How was the process done?" the figure at the window behind her directed.

"That, I will _not_ tell you."

"Hn." Lydia raised her eyebrows at the anticipating figure.

"Bottom line, always be on your guard when I am _anywhere _in the vicinity. DON'T touch me unless I permit it! Do not force me into anything. If I begin to shake, get Touya immediately and stay on my good side," she snarled.

A pinkish light shined into the room from the hallway.

"Oh, good grief! Am I late?" a tall cheery girl with a lot of sky blue hair entered the room complaining.

"Better late than never," Genkai smirked, "sit down and Lydia will continue her life story."

"Oh! That's right. You said some girl was coming over to gi-AHHHH!" she stumbled back at the sight of Lydia.

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT SHE IS?" she exclaimed.

Lydia rounded on her, dark wispy shadows appeared, slithering behind her in the air and a light wind seemed to pick up in the room, growing stronger every few seconds.

"Who are you?" Lydia demanded. Her hand twitched and Touya, alert, got ready to grab her.

"I-I'm Botan, haha. No one special," the deity of the spirit world stuttered and tried to compose her terrified posture.

"Don't lie to me," Lydia taunted and cocked her head to the side, reading the other woman's face.

"I'm a grim reaper," Lydia's shadows died away and she stepped back, "guide to the spirit world and guardian of the River Styx," Boton squirmed.

"Very well," Lydia allowed.

"She's a Confessor," Boton accused. Lydia stared at her.

"A what?" Kurama was still shocked.

Boton looked uneasily at Lydia. Lydia rolled her eyes aggravated and gave a sharp nod and crossed her arms as she began pacing the room.

"The Confessors are a race in the Midlands," Boton told, "They're in cahoots with the wizards. They can see truth and enforce it upon anyone. The Confessor's touch is the ruin to all things, ironically."

"Well, she's scary enough. Why is it ironic?" said Kuwabara. Yusuke smacked him in the back of the head, hiding a smile and cautiously watching Lydia, the Confessor.

"How do you know all this?" Touya asked, coolly, and kindly.

"Spirit World has to know of all existing areas. Though… we don't know very much of the Midlands. I'm still wondering why you aren't wearing your white dress?" she gestured at Lydia's outfit, "Did she tell you she's the Mother Confessor?"

Boton's eyes opened wide and she stopped talking as a hiss emitted from behind Lydia's teeth.

"Back to power," she said nervously and regained her teacher pose, "It's the power of love through their hands that commits the darkest man to his sins."

There were a couple of chuckles.

"It's not a laughing matter!" Boton snapped, "It's very dangerous and can kill some creatures."

"How about that," Keiko mused allowed, dazed, "Shizuru keeps telling me life is a knife through the heart."

"Hardly," Lydia's cold reply forced Keiko's soft brown eyes down.

"Wow," Yukina muttered, looking very sorrowful.

"Love is definitely not strong enough for proper damage or responsible for bringing down an army," his cold voice disturbed the silence.

The window beside the black clothed boy slammed shut and he had to jump to the floor out of its shuddering way. Lydia's arm was outstretched, two fingers pointed down. Pale, ice green eyes looked directly at lazy but curious ruby eyes.

"Love," she moved her fingers up and sideways. The short boy was lifted into the air and tossed against the opposing wall.

"Conquers all, will destroy all and think for a moment love has never had a purpose in fighting. You know for a fact countries fight for the love of freedom, life, and property. You know that a man will often see fit to die for the love he has for another, or for love he's never- had," their eyes never broke contact. Both subjects loathed the other in this moment, one face leaning toward the other ready to throw back anything the other had to say.

"The doctor sent after me when I escaped died in agony when my hands met his slimy throat. I- barely- touched- him!"

Kuwabara felt at his own throat, and Yukina put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Would you like to know his name?" she said with fake cheer, "It was Osteopath Shigure."

The red eyes widened in stunned fury.

"What?" he yelled in rage.

"Surely… you didn't think… that _love_ would have killed him where all else seemed to fail to. I was tormented and tortured by him!" Lydia spat.

"Hiei," Kurama tried.

Hiei cut him a silencing glance and fell down off the wall onto his feet.

Under Lydia's gaze, he had been completely incapacitated and unable to even struggle away from the wall where he was pinned above the ground.

"I request to retire," the Mother Confessor asked of land lord.

"In the dojo to the right of the yard, second door on the left."

"Thank you," she bowed curtly.

Touya stood up.

"Thank you," he bowed to the old woman gratefully and followed hurriedly after Lydia.

"Was that really necessary?"

"He put himself up on that wall, all I had to do was look at him."

Their conversation died to the ears of those tiredly picking themselves up from the mats in the meditation room.

* * *

**A cat almost died outside my window. It scared the crap out of me! But don't worry! … I checked on it and it's alright, just has a little limp now. **


	4. Chapter 4: The Beginning of Harmony

**Sorry, this one is longer. Thanks for the reviews! And I totally wrote the last quarter of this story while I was BS'n a biology test! Haha!**

* * *

Two days later, routine began to settle back in at Genkai's residence.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were training in so called "spirit energy" matched with combat lessons under Genkai herself. Kurama and Hiei spared with Touya. The girls had slowly found that they could get along.

Keiko and Yukina had set up moving targets in an open area three miles west of the dojos. Boton was to give Lydia female company and be her supervisor alert while the demon boys fought two football fields' length away.

If Lydia were to snap they'd be there immediately, but intended to stay out of her way as she struggled to learn control.

"Well look at you!" Boton commented on Lydia's attire.

She wore really short black shorts and a white tank top that enhanced her soft curves. Her dark, not shiny, beautiful hair was mostly pulled back by a forest green bow and hanging over her dark blue scarf that reached to her knees. She wore blood red ankle socks with her neat, black jazz shoes that were tied.

She was five foot four with long, slender, smooth, cream colored arms and legs. Her legs were thin but not scrawny and well muscled with the short shorts showing off much of her thighs.

She really was something.

With her uniquely unusual foreign outfit her eyes stood out a little more. It was curious how she could pull of such a look when the pale green eyes made it so strange.

"You look great!"

"It's my normal wear. I'm always feeling feverishly warm anyhow," she added to the girl in the thick, pink kimono, eyeing the shorts. This was to be Lydia's typical and preferred attire.

"You do?" she seemed concerned, Lydia fidgeted.

"It's… fine," she shook it off, "Where do you want me to start?"

"Okay! Now I've heard you have some serious problems with controlling your powers."

Lydia raised her eyebrows.

"So let's work on centering your energy and I'll toss some targets."

She closed her eyes and focused, a familiar light wind picking up around her as she focused and a tingling sensation seized her glowing and twitching finger tips. The training began.

* * *

Three weeks passed and the days finally flowed comfortably.

Training took up most of the day. The free time they had was spent leisurely and wounds that needed healing were healed or touched up. Lydia and the group grew to know each other well.

Lydia knew:

Kurama: a fox demon punished by being reborn as a human. Youku Kurama is his other half that he doesn't appreciate. He likes nature and see's fit to be polite at all times.

Hiei: a fire demon with a dark past, brother to Yukina though he made a promise never to tell her after Shigure implanted the Jagan Eye into his forehead. He likes to spend time alone to think about the things that bother him, though Lydia thought he should talk to someone about it once in a while.

Yusuke: a classic delinquent and jerk, strangely, a loyal friend. He was given a second chance by Konema, prince of the spirit world, after he had died needlessly saving a child's life. In this he was appointed Spirit Detective and the rest of his friends were to aid him in missions regarding the welfare of all living things. He doesn't think much, but he get's by without needing to think and his spirit gun and work wonders. He loves frisky women and eats more than Clark Kent after a long run.

Kuwabara: loved Yukina, was the only guy oblivious to the fact that Yukina and Hiei were twins, adores kittens, and he did his best to be sweet through his many dorky weaknesses.

Genkai: a master of martial arts and spirit energy as amazing as the Jedi council, teaches Yusuke and trains the others on her own time, and she plays video games waaaaaaaaaaay too much.

Yukina: looking for her brother, sweet ice maiden, adores Kuwabara, and has been harshly imprisoned in her life before the gang was introduced, loves birds and singing and sledding in snow.

Keiko: basically Yusuke's high school sweetheart, great friend, loved skating and enjoys working at her parents noodle shop.

Boton: worked for Koenma in the spirit world and has been the gang's help on missions and looks out for them, she enjoys shopping and gets scared easily.

Touya: her ice master friend was glad to be able to spend time with Lydia again, and had taken a strong interest in the bands Take That and Muse.

They knew:

Lydia: Mother Confessor and 75% fire demon (her confessing power blocked the full transitional change and conveniently killed the two operators converting her), loved music, only really sang at the extremes complacency or acrimony, had a dark past where like Hiei she refused to speak of.

Of course this wasn't all they knew about each other, but these were the basics, their life stories.

When Jin came, Lydia became very fond of him as well.

"I'm glad she's not giving us one word answers anymore," said Kurama, regarding her openness. They were resting quietly by some trees.

"It takes time for her to trust," Touya laid on the grass with his eyes closed, "she probably doesn't completely trust us now but at least she's happy."

"Lydia and her stupid games."

"Come now, Hiei, you're not still sore about her picking on your size last week are you?" Touya looked up into the tree tops.

"Not at all. She only responds vaguely to stay mysterious."

"It works too," Jin sat down next to Kurama with a huff.

Two of the demons laughed with the wind master, Jin.

"Uh-uh!" a slim, long finger waggled in front of his face.

"Oh dea," Jin's accent left out the 'r'.

Lydia stood in front of him; legs spread shoulder width apart, hands on hips, smiling playfully.

" 'Voltaire is my home dog'?" Touya questioned her black shirt with baby blue writing.

"I can't find my Shakespeare one," she frowned, smoothing her purple shorts, then turned back to the muscular, bare chested boy sporting white pants, flat shoes, and crisscrossed suspenders.

"Come on," she held her hands out to him.

"I just finished training," he groaned, drawing out the word "training".

"But I need moving targets and torrential wind to challenge me."

"No ya don't!" his bright blue eyes were suddenly tired.

"Fine," she patted his large tuft of messy red hair, "I'll just run with Hiei."

"What?" Hiei contradicted in a low tone, now standing by the tree turned partially away from the group in his blue kimono with white pants and thick black boots.

Lydia didn't reply, but bent down over her deep ocean blue socks. She delicately tied her fine, small jazz shoes and stood tall.

"Hn," he nodded. They both took off in unison, too fast and light to kick up dust.

Hiei slowed his pace enough to _just_ keep her with him. They did this often. She loved to run, and was easily faster than any human, but slower than the fire demon. He pushed her a bit more every so often so she would learn to save energy from running for long periods of time and to allow her to increase her speed and agility through the obstacle filled paths.

"Who woulda though those two would enjoy the company?" Jin watched the two disappear. The tall black hair reached as tall as the dark brown head, creating an illusion that Lydia and Hiei were the same height.

"Hiei says it's because she's not nearly as annoying as the rest of us, "Kurama examined a thick blade of grass with his large emerald eyes and gentle hands.

"She certainly has an offset, dejected perspective and different atmosphere feeling and attitude toward things," Touya sat up gingerly. The ice blue toga fastened over his night sky blue skin suit wrinkled against his fishnet sleeves.

"Morbid, if you ask me."

"Not really, Jin," Kurama reasoned, "Lydia and Hiei have gone through treacherous events that have left scars they can both share and never rid of. She had even run away to London, England in hopes of escaping from further damage. Perhaps he's just relating for forgiveness or something in that league," he sounded doubtful.

"Hmph! O' yeah!" Jin exaggerated, the two demons looked at him, " 'The world shall end,' " he made an angry face, " 'I'm so tough, and yer goin down cause you can't run like the tiny ginger bread man!' " Jin imitated Hiei. They all chuckled.

A steely ring broke the sound of their laughter and they watched a katana launched from the trees and fall from the sky directly onto Jin's head.

"Owwww!" Jin exclaimed, rubbing his head furiously with tears in his eyes. The katana clattered softly to the grass.

Kurama and Touya rolled with laughter.

* * *

Lydia was tiding up her English made room. Her walls were white, the bed comforter and sheets were a soft and pleasing yellow. Dark purple drapes framed her large window. Her mahogany desk was well kept and she replaced the picture on its fine surface.

"On your side, teach me the real thing. No time… to think of the old scene," she sang softly while she dusted the corners where cobwebs might have been hiding.

"Write your name in the stars. I am trying to heal your heart," she jumped off the chair and swatted a tiny arachnid swinging on a one piece of glistening wet silk string.

"Write your name."

"You have a wonderful singing voice," Lydia was startled.

Oh! Haha, thanks, Keiko," she gave her friend a warm smile.

"Lapush, right?"

"Yep!"

"We need to find Yukina. Shizuru's almost here," the girl bounced excitedly.

"Oh! The party! Right," Lydia remembered, tapping her chin. Her nails were now a black seaweed blue.

"Alright!" a boy's voice rang out through the hall and someone ran by the door.

"Hey, you two ready?" Yusuke ran back and asked.

"Yeah!" they rushed out and across the yard to the main building.

"Ugh! Gosh sis, you'll tear my head off!" Kuwabara loudly complained.

"Damn, we're late. Opps!" Yusuke laughed, ruffling his greasy hair then carefully smoothing it back in place.

"Happy birthday, Shizuru!" Keiko went over to hug the tall, thin, mousy haired girl who apparently, was Kazuma's sister.

Lydia had never met Shizuru before, and Yukina was no where to be seen in the open room. Lydia brushed Yusuke's arm to let him know she'd be back.

She treaded lightly up the stairs in search of the Koorime. She skipped down to the end of the short hall and knocked on a door.

"Yukina?" she found the sweet ice maiden asleep at her maple wood desk.

"Yukina, Shizuru's here," she smiled, placing a hand on the blue clothed shoulder.

Eye lashes fluttered open and red eyes curiously took in their surroundings. The girl lifted her head.

"Okay," Yukina replied sleepily, "Let's go introduce you."

She pushed herself out of the small chair barely grasped Lydia's sleeve.

The two chatted like old, longtime friends. There was a blinding white light and a crash out front that shook dojo and knocked Lydia over the side of the rail of the staircase.

"Lydia!" Yukina screamed and rushed down the stairs.

"What on earth?" Kurama crouched beside her with his hand on his chin. Yukina reached them and examined Lydia's head for injuries, then healed the broken wrist that was fastly changing from purple to black.

"Everyone outside," Genkai was ready to fight the intruder.

Touya pushed his way through the small crowd. Lydia looked up at him in confusion.

"Demetrie?" he pulled her off the floor. She looked toward the door, and then looked incredulously back to the uncertain man. She gasped and gave him a hard hug.

"Demetrie!" she exclaimed with joy.

All the other inhabitants of the temple looked at each other and scratched their heads.

"Come and meet my wizard," she offered to them mischievously.

Outside there was another large crater where a stumbling tall man of white hair and gray and black robes emerged.

"Confound it! Blast it all," he muttered, rubbing his rump.

Genkai suppressed a few angry words about the second magnificent whole disrupting the beauty of her home.

"Ah, my child!" he spoke fondly as Lydia bounded u to him and wrapped her arms around him in a father to daughter embrace.

"I see everyone here is in the appropriate pieces," his brown eyes, not quite as chocolate as Yusuke's, observed the silent people waiting around them.

"This is new," the birthday girl stated, smoking a small cigarette.

"I'm not alone," the strange wizard informed Genkai's skeptical stance.

Kuwabara blinded furiously, checking behind the old man. Yusuke gave a shrug.

"EAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" a loud voice screamed.

In the air a misty gateway appeared and a man was thrown defenselessly out of the portal and found himself caught in a tree's gnarled grasp.

"GET ME DOWN!" he yelled, hands clamped over his eyes. His brown robes were hooked onto some branches.

"PLEASE!" he wailed.

Not knowing what else to do, the shocked assembly burst into laughter.

Lydia gave a knowing smile to the man captured in the tree, named Giligan.

* * *

They had sent Lydia and the girls (except for Yukina) away to search for new robes for older wizard whose robes had been singed in his landing.

"That's why I sent her to you," Giligan folded his soft hands. His skin had no creases or roughness because he'd only handled books in his life.

"They're hunting her," the Spirit Detective repeated.

"This is going to be a battle less promising on our affairs," Kurama solemnly stated quietly.

"Let's get rid of the threat!"

"Use your head for once dimwit," Genkai scolded, "If there's any time to actually have a plan, it's now. These things will kick our asses into boxes ready to be dropped into the ground if we do something as half assed as underestimating them."

"Well nothing's ever really been easy," Yusuke sat down to think, he examined his fingers, knowing the power held in them and hoping it could be enough.

"A surprise attack could word decently," Giligan thought, "but we don't know where they are. Demetrie, can we send a cloud?"

"A cloud?" retorted Hiei, disbelieving.

"Tracker clouds, magical creations and very quick, fairly easy to use. No."

Gilgian let out an aggravated sigh.

"They have too many allies now to work with. The cloud would just grow to one large dark mass, there'd be far too many. The best we can do is watch and wait for signs," the old wizard finished, his face showed nothing but concentration.

"We must help Lydia," Yukina's soft voice wavered.

"We are. Whatever happens to her affects what happens to the rest of the realms to," said Genkai.

"You all need just as much help," came Giligan's tired notion.

"Come here child," Demetrie motioned for Yukina to sit before him.

"What is your name, Koorime?"

"Yukina."

"You realize that you have an important role, don't you?" he asked softly. She looked into his kind, brown eyes and nodded silently.

"I must heal my friends during the battle, the revolution."

"The _war_," he whispered, correcting her. A tear fell from her face and hit the floor with a chiming plunk. The old man leaned over and picked up the precious gem.

"There, there now. We mustn't lose these or waste them on happy talk," he smiled, folding the gem into her hand. Hiei watched the two smile, now friends, and Demetrie patted her head.

"Good girl," he stood and looked at every pair of eyes.

"For the sake of sanity," he eyed their surroundings and saw four figures walking up from the entrance arch, "hold still."

Everyone stiffened, unaware of what he was going to bestow them.

'_Oh, crap! I've never met a wizard, why am I all tingly now? I hope he doesn't make me sick or something!' _Kuwabara was unsure how he felt about this new, different tingly sensation that over took him.

Everyone fidgeted.

Hiei closed his eyes and slumped against the wall.

'_He's erasing something' _Kurama realized and narrowed his eyes at the man.

The moment was short and brief. The musty smelling air that had filled the room cleared away and the old man folded his arms satisfied.

"I've raised Lydia since she was a little girl. As unstable as she is, the emotion and thoughts in this room and group would make her ill and there would be chaos. Her sudden fright would expose us all the Fire," he used their new term for the enemies at large.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to rest now. The trip has been trying on me and I'm not feeling well," said Demetire.

"It's bad enough to hearing you talk of your feelings," directed to Kuwabara, "then to feel others… and not be able to control the mental link…" Hiei reveled.

"Is a hell no other is forced to endure but her," Demetrie finished, sharing a weary glance with Giligan.

* * *

Lydia sat up in a tree, about a mile from the temple, dojo, house- whatever you wanted to call the group of buildings. Pagodas?

She was almost at the top of the tree. It was amazing how she'd picked it out perfectly.

There were other trees just as tall as the one she perched in, however, beyond this particular row of threes, all the other trees were a good 12 feet shorter.

Being these parts of the forest to the west of her residence, the city was not to be seen unless you went south or east.

Here, the mountains stood tall and majestically like a giant portrait painted exquisitely in perfection.

Her yellow dress was accented in the sunbeams and her dark hair was pulled back slightly, the parts hanging around her face had curled and left her looking very beautiful. Her skin glowed bronze.

The wondrous sunset was flawless and made Lydia began to hum. Her harmonious pitches softly filled the air.

The mountains were a professionally colored blue and the trees a vibrant green. The wind teased the billions of leaves and joyously played with her hair.

A sweet, earthy smell filled her nose and her gleaming pale green eyes studied the delicate shades of the vast, never ending sky.

Above the mountains, an orange and yellow light waved goodbye, kissing the horizon as the sun headed off to bed.

Over head, the sky's dark blue cloak slowly covered itself. The blue carefully shaded light and lighter as it met the orange and yellow fire, conversing in friendship.

There were white skies where the fire and water colors shook hands. A few clouds traveled contently across the scene, their ruffles and puffs decorated pink, red, and purple as nature saw fit.

It was there, Lydia absently and wonderfully hummed A Whole New World prettier than Jasmine had in Aladdin, in the tree where she gazed loving at a city more beautiful than Atlantis.

A city more golden than El Dorado could dream.

Her own Heaven and only home, a place of peace, harmony, and wonder.

She diverted her attention to a few robins and blue jays flying together and singing with her, accenting the sweet melody.

She started at a new presence and swung upside down a moment to see Hiei walking toward the fat, brown trunk of her throne. She rolled her eyes and sat up, seeing him beside her. He watched her.

"I _almost_ saw you climb the whole way this time," she told him.

"Almost, huh?" he quizzically asked.

"Yep," she'd begun picking up his ultra-speedy movements and was determined to be able to see them one day.

He looked thoughtfully over the edge at something. She swung her legs lazily in the air like Christopher Robin on his childhood swing set.

"Well you're happy," he confirmed, sitting back on the limb.

"Yeah," she laughed.

"And I can see in your mind you're not used to it," he clasped his hands in front of him and let his eyes roam over the colors displayed before them.

She shot him a frown, he made sure his face looked innocent that time. There were many things in her head she never wanted to share and he'd known that.

"No, I'm not… but I truly do enjoy the complacency."

"Hn," he sat up against the sunset in silence, eyes closed. The light made his skin glow slightly to. He didn't look as stern and displeasingly full of hatred in his blue kimono. It fit the scene.

They watched the sunset in silence.

"I'm supposed to tell you to come to the party."

"Well let's go!" she concluded in a cheerful but soft, quite voice.

He grunted impolitely.

The wind blew at them, urging them on. She looked at her hand on the branch, thinking.

"If I could look across the country, from California to New Jersey," he looked to her as she sang.

"Then I would count the park s and lake resorts, and number all the jets and airports," she traced her finger in the sky around a pink fluffy cirrus cloud, remembering the stormy rain that night, long ago it seemed, but haunting her every night.

"All those rather dreary rain clouds," she kept one beautiful, none the less, "still bother me. Cuz I look through the camera eyepiece," she glanced carefully up at the sky, "and cannot see," she seemed to search for something in the sunset, her pyrite green eyes shined like jewels in the low light of orange tunes.

"Hn," his usual dismissing phrase, was soft and randomly placed. He took in her appearance and body language, noticing how untrusting and cautious she really was and wondering again what exactly had ruined her.

"If I could open up my window," he raised an eyebrow at the line and looked back over the flawless landscape.

"And see from Tampa Bay to Juno," he listened to the familiar words lulling out of her mouth.

She put a hand on his shoulder, and sent some mental pictures to him. His eyes widened in horror at the images he saw and he grasped her arm to pull himself up.

"Then I would survey all those open miles, and line them up in single file," she finished her part in a whisper, with an unsure and sad half smile to him.

Then she jumped down and began running back to the soft glowing lights of the party.

Hiei sat for a moment with what he'd just been shown.

He thought about how her mother had died and realized how relieved Lydia really felt there with the gang and tried to see the scene before him like he knew she could.

The wind pulled its fingers through his hair.

"Everywhere I look I see green. Scenic sublime," his low voice decently picked up the melodious lullaby. He stood up and looked down, but had to bring his eyes up one more time for the fading beautiful canvas.

"And all those oceanic vistas, are so divine," he sighed.

The teenager disappeared, running insanely fast back to the party with new matters at hand.

* * *

**I used a few songs in this one:**

**Lapush- I'll Leave the Light On**

**A Whole New World- Aladdin, Disney**

**3 Owl City- Fuzzy Blue Lights**


	5. Chapter 5: First Distraction

**I do not own any of the music displayed in this number. **

**ATTENTION! The flashback may be a bit confusing. I separate them for you with a small obvious note. She does think in the present time about part of it, if you have any questions send me a message!**

**Thanks so much for helping me out Dia de Luz!! **

**Please review and all that JAZZ!**

* * *

The girls giggled loudly. Shizuru had proved to be a friend to Lydia. Crude humor was the older woman's specialty, but her intentions were refined.

"When's the karaoke?" Shizuru asked, a puff of smoke escaped her lips and she smothered the embers of the tiny nub, once a white stick of nicotine, into the wood of the table.

A few tables had been brought out to support food and drinks for the party.

"Well we can start now?" Keiko chimed.

"Lydia's up first," Yukina nudged the Mother Confessor.

"Yeah, go on!"

"Um… why doesn't the birthday girl go first?" she held her hands out to the bored adult like Vanna White.

"Fine," Shizuru complied and walked up to the microphone. She coughed a couple times, mocking someone getting ready to sing their heart out.

"Happy Birthday to me, times four!" she gave a drastic bow.

"Woo!" someone cheered enthusiastically.

Yusuke and Kuwabara insulted Shizuru through stuffed mouths.

"Chew your food," Genkai ordered.

"Better yet, stop eating…" Giligan thought aloud He had not been able to grab the hot dog he'd wanted yet because the two teenagers were raving around the small table with lots of caffeinated energy.

Demetrie sat on the steps, tapping his foot and applauding Shizuru.

Hiei and Kurama were having a deep conversation. Lydia hoped they wouldn't think too differently of her, or pity her too much.

"Lydia?" Shizuru snapped her thin fingers, breaking Lydia's thought process.

"Sing for me," she bade the brunette to get up.

Lydia made her way to the list of music they had and wrinkled her nose, determining just

which one to sing.

"She seems so lonely," she heard Shizuru's voice commenting her, "and carries herself like she's always waiting for something _good_ to happen," she gossiped.

She allowed a small smile manipulate her face.

'_Then I suppose this one will do_' she put the CD in the blue boom box and clicked to track four. Walking pace music jingled in clearly from the stereo.

_I walk a lonely road a restless soul heading uphill_

The girls began to chat wildly about the bright orange sweater Shizuru had just unwrapped.

Jin floated around aimlessly, happily munching on potato chips with sour cream dip.

_Wading through the shit in front of every little bend I turn_

Demetrie captured the meaning behind the words sung and concluded why Lydia had chosen this particular song. She had so many horrible memories, and had struggled for so long before coming here under one of the worst situations the world could be in…and she'd finally found comfort.

Demetrie sighed sadly and caught the heated conversation going on behind him.

Kuwabara's drink fizzed over. The carbonated geyser's spray drenched his large, dark blue shirt. Yusuke fell on his butt in laughter.

_It's okay, it's okay_

_I hope I will be okay_

Shizuru bobbed her head to what she thought was well picked music.

_So come on I'm screaming now how much I need you to stay_

Demetrie shuddered violently at a disturbing and cruel image that passed before his eyes. He hunched over in sudden fatigued pain. He looked up to the heavens, understanding, and damning himself for what had to happen now.

_And if the night left you alone_

_And if the day's leave you cold_

_I'll trade a symphony for a song_

_I'll leave a light on by your home_

A soft yellow glow surrounded Lydia in her small yellow dress. She was smiling, unshed tears in her eyes.

_I'll wait so come on, come home_

_I'll wait so com on, come home_

_You'd trade your place for a brighter sun to come your way_

_Walking contradiction now I'm a mess I can not say_

"Her memories are the only things keeping her sane right now," Hiei explained, "and I don't even see how that is possible. I'm seen brutal her memories are."

_It's okay, it's okay_

"This is bad."

_I hope I will be okay_

_So come one I'm screaming now how much I need you to stay… need you to stay_

They're coming for her tonight, and we won't have time to evacuate," Kurama made a highly stressed gesture.

"What?" Demetrie bellowed. Strangely, only the short fire demon and the tall, polite, green eyed fox demon heard him.

"Not a word," the wizard at work commanded to the two of them.

He grasped their arms and towed them back to the group to hear the last of Lydia's debut.

…_trade a symphony for a song_

_I'll leave a light on by your home_

"Go Lydia!" Giligan and Boton's elevated voices encouraged.

_I'll wait so come on, come home_

She grasped the microphone and sang proudly.

_I'll wait so com on_

"Come home!" everyone finished.

The electric music break took over.

Touya jumped onstage wearing Keiko's pink framed sunglasses and pretended to rock out on a screaming guitar.

Jin jumped up and began dancing with Lydia while the audience laughed and also moved along with the beat.

_Don't know what you need_

_It's all that you see_

_It's all that you are_

Touya picked up with, (conveniently, the only part of the song he knew) the lyrics because Lydia was too busy chortling and twirling. She quickly came back and pointed at Yusuke and Kuwabara, who had begun playing the drums on each other. Kuwabara murdered the rhythm.

_And all that you leave_

She kicked Kuwabara's Pepsi soaked shirt into the crowd.

_It's not what you need_

_It's not what you need, love_

She motioned, and Yusuke obliged in smacking Kuwabara in the back of the head.

"Hey!"

_I'll wait so come on, come home_

She swayed in the manner of an innocent little girl.

_I'll wait so come on-_

"Come hoooome!" Keiko sang very off key and jumped up beside the professional singer on the mini stage (a large mound of dirt left over from when Demetrie filled in the ugly craters in the front yard).

_I'll pick you up like a cab in the rain_

They pointed to each other and bumped hips. Together their voices created a nice duet.

_Like water that bridges keep out of your way_

_I'll leave a light on by your home_

"Woah!" Jin dove out of the way when Lydia jumped into Keiko's unexpecting arms.

_So come on love, come on home!_

Touya did a dramatic jump with his almighty imaginary Laguna into the well entertained audience.

"Are you drunk?" Yusuke gawked at him incredulously.

"Yippee! Now Touya knows 'ow to 'ave fun! Woo wee!" Jin did a summersault in the air, his earls wiggling with complacency.

Everyone applauded, Lydia bowed, embarrassed.

"Thank you," she mumbled amazed.

She bounded excitedly over to Demetrie.

"What coming next?" Genkai asked uncaringly.

"I can't decide. Either Patience, Shine, Rule the Word, or Said It All."

"Rule the World…" Shizuru thought, "isn't that by a bunch of British guys?"

"Take That," Touya nodded.

"Hehe, how about all at one time?" Kuwabara teased in a challenge.

"Woo, now tha's a party," Jin commented.

"I thought you'd be a fan of Cold Play, Touya!" Yusuke joked.

Touya gave a sarcastic, "Haha".

"Ow!" Boton rubbed her chin where Yukina had snapped on a pointy party hat on the crown of her head.

"Sorry!"

"Lydia, such musical talent," she curtsied at the compliment.

"Here," Demetrie said, pulling out an acoustic guitar.

"Go out in the woods and enjoy yourself," he told her, understandingly.

Her eyes widened at the gift. She beamed before taking it carefully and dashing inside, hollering something about a coat.

"Wipe the look off your faces," he told the tense appearing Kurama and Hiei, himself still smiling for when Lydia would return.

"Or she'll know something's awry."

She ran back out, giving Kurama a high five. Touya tapped her shoulder when she passed him. She stuck her tongue out at him and trotted lightly into the darkness, her travel cloak billowing around her.

"Follow me," the grim old man instructed the two younger looking souls.

The great wizard shut the door and muttered a string of incoherent ancient words. All noises ceased.

"I can't have any one hear us… she's scared."

"Wait, what?"

"She's _terrified_! You, with the black hair and white streak in the front, how did she tell you? Did you force it?"

"Would I be here?" Hiei scoffed. Inside he was surprised he agreed to her supposed strength.

"She opened her mind to you, she must trust you a great deal then," the old man nodded, "but watch yourself because her trust is _never_ whole hearted. Has she told you?"

"No sir," came the polite reply.

"Then he should not know," he scolded Hiei gruffly.

"Her mind is the _only_ thing she has that belongs- to- _her_, as tainted and scorched as it is. She will more than likely tell you soon, young man. I've seen how she behaves around you two, it's as if you were actually friends."

Kurama pressed, despite the confusion stirring from the elder's words, "If I may, sir… what is a Thryne?"

Demetrie's color drained into the thin air.

"Thryne?" his voice shook.

The two boys fidgeted.

"A Thryne is a confessor ruined beyond repair, a replete abomination. Does she call herself this?" he concerned worriedly.

"No."

"The demons who transformed her did."

"Then we have less time than I thought," his frail hand ran through his white hair.

"We must keep her safe! We need reinforcements."

"I thought you were a first class wizard?"

"I am thank you… Hiei," he informed coldly, "but one wizard of the first rule is not enough! Not when his time has expired!" he slammed a fist at the wall, making the single piece of furniture in the room, an empty picture frame, jump against the wall.

"Due time?" Hiei's eyes widened.

The man trembled, wide eyed in fear.

"You must protect the Mother Confessor! There are only five others from her race available."

"Available?" Kurama recognized the curious term.

"Use Giligan, together those five must be found."

"Can't Giligan stand in your place?"

"Please," he spat, "the lad is nothing for and a librarian, a 'wizard of the third order'. His only use… is his brain… if… any," he breathed rather irritated.

"What do we do when-" Hiei stopped when the man fell upon the floor for the second time that night.

"Demetrie, sir, is there anything we can do?" Kurama's earnest eyes pleaded with the old man's fading ones.

"I told you, my time is up," it took him a moment to muster the strength to speak again.

His skin began to pale even more and his weak body seemed to shrink into his robes. Kurama was afraid if he patted the poor man's head his hair would be to brittle to stay whole and snap under his palm.

"Lydia still needs training, but there's no more time. When I die, the protection barriers around this wooded haven that followed her will fall and you should already be moving," he urged, "One big and tasty flesh bottle."

Kurama, under strict directions, left to bring the others inside to pack their things. They were all to remain as calm as possible.

"If the rest of them are too happy and eager from your plan, she'll easily spot our unease."

Kurama rationalized that only Genkai could know of the plan.

"The revolution is at… your… door. You _need_ Lydia, or you will _all_ die!"

"What are the chances of survival?"

"Don't expect anyone's life to be spared. You'll be less disappointed that way," Demetrie tossed Hiei a small, ancient smile.

Hiei wondered how old the magician really was. He also wondered how many people he'd lost to be able to give such impetuous advice.

Hiei closed his eyes and looked away. From the core of his being fumed a feeling he wasn't quite accustomed to.

"Yukina?" he whispered.

Demetrie shook his head vigorously.

"I conducted a ward around her. As long as she is fighting with Lydia, she is absolutely safe. You need a healer."

Hiei didn't much care for the rationalities right then.

"Lydia must kill the three Princes of Darkness. She doesn't know! They've turned the war on its head. Every one works for them until our Mother Confessor is captured. Even then they'll duel to the ultimate death against one another over her and you must know, their own lives _never_ come first," he shook a fragile looking finger in front of grave eyes.

"The human world…"

"Will be the first to go."

"For obvious reasons," Hiei snorted half heartedly. He shook his head, "We're not ready for this, _she's _not ready for this!"

"_She_ doesn't have a choice!" and he died, slumped against Hiei's arm.

* * *

Lydia's precious gift lay against a tree.

She'd been playing it for around an hour. She happily hummed little tunes, and strummed little thoughts.

The soft, moonlit air was filled with miners, majors, and harmonious cords.

Cherished, beautiful memories stared back at her from the haloed clouds, indigo sky, silver moon and moonbeams that so peacefully bounced off her seemingly pale skin; the dark and sometimes light trees that surrounded the small clearing.

The pale grass blades smiled while they slept in the moonshine.

A strange condition befell on her.

She twirled in slow circles and swayed to and fro to a song that possessed her whenever she was scared. A song that had been with her since childhood.

**Flashback:**

_It had been a month after her parents were killed- father by Shigure's torture and Zakashi had made her kill her mother, slowly. _

Lydia clearly remembered the blood cascading smoothly and silently as her mother's shrieks reduced to gurgles from the blood pouring out of her mouth.

Lydia saw her dear mother's golden eyes popping out of her head from the intensity of the torture while she lethargically twisted and wrenched her mother's heart out through her chest.

_The Mother Confessor had once again been whipped, raped, and thrown into a rat and blood fly infested tomb with sharp, spiky, diamond tipped iron and steel walls. The bars of a stronger metal. _

_She could never cower in a corner for defense. _

_She was strapped to a table now by her arms, head, waist, legs, and feet. _

_Beside the table lay an assortment of needles and one, single and dilapidated voodoo doll. _

_She closed her eyes, fourteen years old, and tears reluctantly but effortlessly streamed down her sweaty and dirty face, mixing in the pool of her blood around her. _

_She moaned quietly, unutterably miserable behind the duct tape._

_Suddenly her cries were heard loudly and echoed around the prison._

_Her eyes flew open and she clamped her hands over her mouth. She waited for her 'warden' to come and punish her for being a 'noisy brat'. _

_Then she looked around, realizing she was in a spot light and unbound. _

_The most beautiful and melancholy voice sang cheerfully a tune she immediately loved. _

_She wobbled over and pressed herself against the bars. Some of her rags tangled around her starting to become boney frame. _

_She could barely make out the small boy, but she heard and understood him. If not for the many foreign traders of live specimen she would not have known the language. _

'_Guillô, prends ton tambourin,  
_

_Toi, prends ta flûte, Robin  
_

_Au son de ces instruments  
_

_Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan  
_

_Au son de ces instruments  
_

_Je dirai Noël, gaiement' _

**End Of Flashback**

Back in reality, she hummed the same tune, ballet dancing slowly around the small clearing.

When the wind began to move, she began to sing.

_Willie bring your little drum_

_Robin get you fife and come_

_And be merry while you play_

_Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan_

_We will listen as you play_

_For a joyous Christmas day_

Her voice was soft and motherly, entrancing to everything in the wood.

_When the men of olden days_

_Gave the King of Kings their praise_

_They had pipes on which to play_

_Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan_

_They had drums on which to play_

_For the joy of Christmas day_

The moonlight made her yellow dress white and she jumped from tree limb to limb away from the safe clearing and calling guitar. The Christmas song fit the dead scene in an eerily complimentary way.

'_I feel in my chest that something very bad is going to happen very soon_' she thought and tried to worked to calm down.

_God and men became to day_

_More in tune that fife and drum_

_So be merry while you play_

_Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan_

_Come be merry while you play _

_On this joyous Christmas day_

The light darkened as clouds moved in front of her guardian La Luna.

The woods were more menacing now, waiting, but she didn't notice.

The humming started up again when the wind joined in, howling to her in warning.

The moon peaked out at the girl, and she was almost finished with the lovely French carol.

Abruptly, a large black mass rose in front of her from behind a couple of occluse bushes. Her running and jumping instantly ceased and the small girl began back tracking from the advancing giant.

The enormous figure thumped his feet on the ground, making the world shudder in its wake.

Lydia stumbled backwards over her un-laced feet and stared wide eyed at the death approaching her.

Her pale green eyes blazed violet.

* * *

"It's just a radio win, silly. We're all going," Kurama was enthusiastically telling to Kuwabara.

"Get your asses packed! I'm overdue for a vacation!" Genkai busied herself nagging the others, wishing they were really going to Floyd Beach. Because it was her usual attitude, no one heard the urgency.

Jin sniffed the air and ran a hand over chill bumps that had just appeared on his arm.

"Do ya smell tha? Feel et?" He asked Touya.

Touya was staring at a very stiff Hiei by the window.

Hiei's crimson eyes worriedly searched the woods, then centered on a specific spot.

"Kurama!" he shouted and disappeared.

The front door swung violently against the wall in his wake.

* * *

Trees blurred past the group of demons as they sprinted to where their prey lay. If they didn't get there in time, what would be left of her?

The giant demon loudly licked his lips as he swung an ugly bulbous arm and knocked over a tree with his fist.

Lydia darted out of the way.

Hiei, Kurama, Touya, and Jin ran into the scene, horrified by the sight of the monster.

"Oi! The purpley thing with a gian' black eye an orange spikes co'erin 'is back is not e nice fella'!"

The creature hooked his claws and buried them into Lydia's left side.

"Damn, those are long," Hiei eyed them. He jumped into the canopy of green.

Kurama produced a rose from his hair and cracked the long thorny whip against the hideous Golge Demon.

A piercing scream emitted from Lydia's vocal chords.

Touya began freezing the monster's hands with little success.

"Shit. SHARDES OF WINTER!"

Jin rose himself into the air and gathered so much to his hands he almost sucked his teammates into the building vortex.

Kurama almost reached Lydia when the Golge Demon side swiped him into a deep thicket.

In the process, his other hand's (attached to a ridiculously long arm) claws caught the raw skin of Lydia's open wounds and transformed them into two, long and agonizingly deep gashes, holes.

Lydia could hardly keep her eyes open, she was fading too fast.

Hiei jumped down and in one clean slice cut off every single spike on the thing's back with his katana.

It howled in rage, a deafening, blood thirsty roar, and slapped him with its tail.

His sword was knocked out of reach and he was half stuck under the fallen tree.

Touya ran to his aid.

"Don't worry about me! Get the girl!"

"Ah!" The choked gasp escaped Lydia's red, wet mouth.

The Golge Demon held her by the neck. She kicked weakly, clutching her side, other hand convulsing violently and surrounded by a ghostly glow.

"Do something!" Touya and Hiei frantically screamed.

Furiously, Jin twirled in maniacally fast circles. His vibrant red hair stood straight up in the ferociously tenacious hurricane.

"You did it now, biggie," he gritted, 'eat this!" he forced the cyclone upon them.

The demon tottered back and forth, too big to be moved just yet. He dropped Lydia to the floor.

"Lydia! NO!" Touya screamed as the killer charged her full force.

Before anyone could blink, her right hand shot up at clutched the Golge Demon's thick, greasy throat.

A deafening crack of thunder sounded and the small team was thrown 30 feet away from the fight where the trees were finally strong enough to stop them.

Lydia concentrated solely on her victim before her, now bleeding around her digging fingers, while everything around her was obliterated by her sheer force.

All else was flat, gone, incinerated.

The boys were shocked into a stupor at the annihilation.

The demon looked lovingly into Lydia's closing eyes and caught her unconscious body when her world went black and she collapsed.

* * *

**I like all the music put into my writing so Cold Play and Take That are fine bands. **

**The music used in this chapter are:**

**I'll Leave the Light On- Lapush**

**Patapan- David Archaleta's version**


End file.
